05 October 2018 - 0 Comments
Following the release of her fourth studio album The Loneliest Girl last month,New Zealand subversive pop artist Princess Chelsea (Chelsea Nikkel) shares the home grown music video for the album single Growing Older.
"All of these shots I've included are particularly special moments with my grandparents, family and of course, my sister who is two years younger. It features my first instrument, a Yamaha keytar, which was left behind in a house we moved into when I was a kid. Also pictured are holidays at theme parks that capture the excitement but also frustration of being a teenager and feeling isolated. Sometimes you can feel trapped like the Orca's at Seaworld but then excited to be riding the Wipeout!" - Princess Chelsea
Princess Chelsea's The Loneliest Girl album, out now via Lil' Chief Records, examines the loneliness and ultimately the artistic satisfaction a strong work ethic can bring. The result is this eclectic collection of pop songs. The Loneliest Girl captures moments of inspiration and madness, with lyrics that show Chelsea isn't afraid to ask the deeper questions while still maintaining a playful nature about it all. "I can’t be bothered with subscribing to any kind of 'sound,'" Chelsea says.
As well as sharing an album trailer similar to her recent video for Wasting Time, Chelsea shares an official fan video for the track I Miss My Man directed by the same director, Anastasia Doniants. This time she uses footage from the 1976 Soviet movie Little Mermaid. As Chelsea explains, "Unlike the fairy tale we’re all used to the Russian version is really sad - she gives up her legs and voice for this prince but he doesn’t fall in love with her at the end. She gives up everything for him for one day and then it’s all over!".
Watch Growing Older:
WATCH I Miss My
Man
The Loneliest Girl NZ tour
Proudly presented by 95bFM and undertheradar
Friday October 26 - Hollywood Avondale - Auckland
Saturday October 27 - Sawmill Café - Leigh
Saturday November 10 - San Fran - Wellington
Saturday November 17 - Blue Smoke - Christchurch
The Loneliest Girl NZ tour will be the first time Princess Chelsea has performed to New Zealand audiences in three years.
“I’ve got some new band members, which is pretty cool,” she says "and we have spent the last three months tightening our live set before touring the album..."
The Loneliest Girl was recorded by Chelsea between 2016 and 2017 in her home studio in West Auckland, New Zealand with production assistance from label-mate Jonathan Bree. Chelsea’s trademark arrangements featuring classic 80's Synths (Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50), ambient guitars, and orchestral instruments are all here but are presented in a more refined and simple manner than on her previous releases.
The album examines the loneliness and ultimately the artistic satisfaction a strong work ethic can bring, the result of which is this eclectic collection of pop songs. As a studio based artist Chelsea was conscious of not wanting to fall too deep into a production hole for her third album and wanted to more than ever before capture moments of inspiration, madness and spontaneity on record.
A classically trained pianist, Nikkel lent her talents to self-professed "circus punk" act Teen Wolf in the mid-2000's, and later in the touring line-up of indie pop outfit The Brunettes. When she wasn't performing, she worked as a composer for a local recording studio, all the while refining her songwriting and production skills. Her full-length debut as Princess Chelsea, Lil' Golden Book, was released in late 2011 by New Zealand label Lil' Chief, and included the viral YouTube hit Cigarette Duet (nearly 41 million views and counting). The album was a collection of songs about her youth presented with innocent melodies and baroque arrangements to create a musical fairy tale. The juxtaposition of her simple arrangements, childlike delivery and cynical wit is a significant and defining characteristic of her music.
She followed up with a synth-heavy sci-fi opera about a future world rendered helpless in the face of depression brought on by technology, The Great Cybernetic Depression was released by Lil' Chief and Flying Nun in June 2015. She also released a surprise album of covers called Aftertouch, featuring covers by Nirvana, The Beatles, Interpol, Lucinda Williams and Marianne Faithfull.
Stylistically The Loneliest Girl moves away the more uniform synth sounds of The Great Cybernetic Depression to more eclectic territory similar to her first release Lil’ Golden Book and certainly sounds like a record made by a lover of pop music across all genres from 60's girl groups to 80's power ballads, and late 80's acid house to 90's pop. Like her earlier work, adult issues are presented in a humorous and sometimes childlike manner, and this juxtaposition rather than softening the blow makes jarring social commentary hit harder.
PRINCESS CHELSEA ONLINE
http://princesschelsea.lilchiefrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wonderfulprincesschelsea/
https://twitter.com/lilgoldenbook
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